SIR, WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO HENRY FOX1 Albany, June 14th, 1756. With your Letter of the 13th of March, directed to me as Major General, I had the Honour to receive from you three others of the same Date, two of them (I suppose) Circular ones, number'd 1. 2., and the other a separate one, directed to the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay; The two former of these I have transmitted to Lieut. Governor Phipps by Express, that he may lose no time for convening the Massachusetts Assembly and Council, and acquainting them with the Grant of £115,000, which the parliament had, upon his Majesty's Recommendation, made to the Colonies concern'd for their past Services, and as an Encouragement for them to continue to act with the same Spirit and Vigour; As Also with his Majesty's Expectations of their complying with what was demanded of them for his Service in those Letters; and have us'd the best Endeavours, I can at this Distance, to induce them to pay the most dutifull Regard to what his Majesty requires. Concerning these two Letters, Sir, I have nothing to observe in particular, except what regards the number of Provincial Troops, which it appears in that mark'd No. 1, his Majesty expects the New England Colonies and the Province of New York should raise for his Service this Year. I have acquainted you in my Letter of the 7th of May, that a much larger Number of Troops was voted by them to be rais'd this year than was the last; and that those Colonies, besides bearing that part of the Expence of the Troops, which his Majesty expects they shall, are by their Votes to find them with Provisions and Military Stores in proportion to their respective Quotas; so that his Majesty's signifying his Intentions to supply those provincial Troops with provisions and Stores out of his own Magazines ought to have the most powerfull Effect to make the Colonies comply with 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. what his Majesty expects from them, as should likewise the great Encouragements given to the Soldiers, have upon them to induce them to inlist into his Service.1 As to the separate Letter, Sir, which regards the 2000 New England Irregulars rais'd for his Majesty's Service in Nova Scotia in the Year 1755; the State of that Matter is as follows: Mr. Lawrence's proposal to me by Lieut. Colonel Monckton was to have them rais'd for six Months only, but as I judg'd it would be more adviseable to have them inlisted for a Year, I inlisted them for that time. The Dispatch, with which these Troops were to be rais'd, that they might be compleated in time for effecting the Service, to which they were destin'd; the Necessity, there was at the same time that my own and Sir William Pepperrell's Regiments should likewise be rais'd soon enough to take the Field in the ensuing Campaigne, and the View, I had of bringing the four Colonies of New England, and the Province of New York into raising 4000 Men for an Attempt against Crown-point in the same Year (which likewise took place) made it impracticable to enlist the 2000 Men for Nova Scotia for a longer term than one year. They were accordingly inlisted for that time, and had Certificates given them that they should be discharg'd at the End of it, or sooner if his Majesty's Service in Nova Scotia would Admit. Soon after the Surrender of Beau Sejour, some small Animosities happen'd, as I have been inform'd, between the Commanding Officer of the Expedition and the principal Officers of the Irregulars, which were afterwards increas'd by an Order given in Nova Scotia, whilst the New England Regiment subsisted as a Corps, for inlisting such of the Soldiers of it into the King's Regiments, as could be got to do it; this was communicated to the Massachusetts Assembly in so unfavourable a light with regard to the Men's being, 1 On June 9, Governor Hopkins of Rhode Island recommended that colony to raise more troops for Crown Point (Kimball, Corres. Col. Govs. of R. I. 2, 216), and on June 22, acts providing for troops and additional provisions were passed (R. I. Col. Rec. 5, 498-501). as it was pretended, drove to it by Inconveniencies, which they suffer'd in the Service, beyond what the Regulars did, that it inflam'd the whole Province during my Absence, and produc'd a very warm Application of the Assembly to me upon my Return, desiring I would order all the New England Men, who had thus inlisted into the King's Regiments to be discharg'd from them, and forthwith to send Transport Vessells to bring the New England Battaillons back from Nova Scotia to Boston. In my Answer to the Assembly's Message I moderated their Demands for having the New England Men, who had inlisted into the King's Regiments, immediately discharg'd, by confining it to such only as were born in New England or had Families or near Relations in it, and actually desir'd to be dismiss'd; and upon assuring them that the other Soldiers of the two Battaillons should be discharg'd and return'd home at the End of their Inlistments, if they requir'd it, and sending some Vessells to Halifax to lye ready there for the transportation of one of the Battaillons, I satisfy'd them, and hope all Heart-burnings on this Account are at an End. When I sent the Vessels to Halifax I advis'd Governor Lawrence to endeavour to gain the Men of both the Battaillons Consent to continue in Nova Scotia under their own Officers, for such time as he thought his Majesty's Service might require it, by offering them a small Bounty; and wrote Letters to the Commanding Officers of both Battaillons, requiring them to exert their utmost Influence with the Men under their Command to induce them to consent to stay longer; which the Officers assur'd me they did; But Governor Lawrence informs me, that all Endeavours were in vain; that very few or none of the Soldiers could be prevail'd on to stay; and he thereupon order'd both Battaillons to be sent to Boston; which indeed could not be avoided without breaking faith with the Men, by holding them against their Consent beyond the terms of their Inlistments, and by that means producing bad Consequences to his Majesty's Service not only in Nova Scotia, but all over the Continent. Neither of these Battaillons was return'd to Boston when I set out from thence for this place; But as several of the Officers, and a great part of the Men are very fit for the Duty of Rangers, and I found such Companies will be of great Utility in every part of the present Expedition, I left Orders for raising five such Companies out of them, to consist of 60 privates each; But have not yet Returns of the progress made in raising them, or whether they can be rais'd; but hope some of them at least will. I have the honour to be with the Highest respect, Sir, Your most Humble and most Obedient Servant W. SHIRLEY. P.S. June 15. I have just now receiv'd an Acct. that two Companies of Rangers (I suppose of 100 privates each) are inlisted in Nova Scotia out of the best Men of the New England Battaillon, which was posted on the Isthmus, which I hope will be of considerable Service there. The Rt. Honble. Henry Fox one of his Endorsed: Albany - June 14th, 1756. M. G. SHIRLEY. R Augt. 6th. SIR, W. S. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO HENRY FOX1 Albany, June 23d, 1756. I have the Honour to transmit you a Copy of a Minute of Council of War held at this place the 25th of May;2 and from the Progress made in the Preparations for the Expedi 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. 2 Printed ante, p. 453. tion against Crown Point since that time, have reason to think that the Provincial Troops will be ready in every Respect to take the Field in the first Week of July; as are now the 44th and 48th Regiments, which wait only for the Earl of Loudoun's arrival and determining the place of their Destination. 1 In my letter of the 7th May 1 to you, Sir, I mentioned that the 44th, 48th, 50th and 51st Regiments were near Compleated; I judg'd so from the Accounts given me of the Number of Recruits rais'd for each; but upon the last Returns made to me of their present Strength I find myself deceived; The four Regiments dont exceed 3100 Rank and File Men; This hath happened through very great Desertions in each of those Regiments, and the detention of Indented Servants (who had Inlisted) in Prison, and besides these Causes in the 50th and 51st Regiments, through Mortality in them, ever since their arrival at Oswego, particularly this Winter, and discharges of Men out of them, on Account of their being rendered unfit for Service by Sick ness. The New Jersey Regiment, which the Colony kept up in the Winter, in order to be ready to take the Field as soon as I should Call upon them, this Spring, and have with their Colonel been of great Service, is recruited to 450 Rank and File Men I have indulg'd his Majesty's four Independent Companies of New York with every thing that Sir Charles Hardy the Govr. of that Province told me was necessary to be done, in order to put it into his Power to Recruit them, but I find from Reviews taken of them, that the four will not produce more than 150 Men fit for Duty; The four North Carolina Companies of the Complement of 50 Men each, who are now Upon their March for the Carrying Place at Connajoharia Falls, upon the Mohawk's River dont exceed 155 Rank and File Men. I have this Morning heard from the Report of Masters of Sloops from New York that Otway's and the Highland Regiment are arrived there with Major General Abercromby; 1 Printed ante, p. 442. |